10 Automation SRE Interview Questions and Answers for site reliability engineers

1. Can you tell us about your experience with automation in an SRE context?

During my time as an SRE, I have extensively used automation to improve efficiency, reduce errors, and maintain high availability of systems. One of the projects where automation was highly beneficial was when we had to migrate our infrastructure from physical servers to the cloud.

1. As part of this migration, I developed an automated script to create and configure virtual machines in the cloud environment. This script helped save us about 25 man-hours per week.
2. Additionally, I wrote an automation script to monitor server logs and send alerts to the on-call team when any potential issues were detected. As a result, we were able to resolve any issues before they became critical and caused downtime. The script reduced the number of alerts the team had to deal with by about 40%, and we were able to respond to incidents much faster.
3. To reduce the time it took to identify and resolve incidents, I created an automation solution that could diagnose and restart services that had stopped. Previously, we had to manually SSH into servers and restart services that had stopped, which was a time-consuming process. With the automation solution, we were able to restart services in under 3 minutes, which was a 60% improvement in resolution time.

Overall, my experience with automation tools and methodologies has allowed me to improve system reliability, reduce downtime, and enhance team productivity. I am confident that I can utilize these skills effectively in any SRE role that I take on.

2. What automation tools have you worked with in the past?

Answer:

1. Ansible: In my previous role at XYZ Company, I worked extensively with Ansible to automate our infrastructure deployment process. I was responsible for creating and maintaining Ansible playbooks that allowed us to rapidly provision and configure our servers, saving us an average of 10 hours per week.
2. Terraform: I also have experience with Terraform, which I used to manage our cloud resources at ABC Inc. I created Terraform modules that allowed us to provision infrastructure across multiple cloud providers in a consistent and repeatable way. This resulted in a 40% reduction in infrastructure cost and a 25% increase in deployment speed.
3. Jenkins: At DEF Corp, I was responsible for setting up and maintaining our Jenkins pipeline. I created automated tests and built scripts that allowed us to deploy our code quickly and efficiently. This resulted in a 50% reduction in deployment time and a 75% decrease in deployment errors.
4. Puppet: In my current role, I work with Puppet to manage our server configurations. I've created Puppet modules that automate the installation of critical software packages and enforce consistent system configurations. This has resulted in a 90% reduction in manual configuration tasks and a 60% decrease in configuration errors.
5. Selenium: Lastly, I have experience with Selenium for automated testing. At GHI Ltd, I created Selenium scripts to automate our regression testing process. This allowed us to catch critical bugs before they made it to production, resulting in a 30% reduction in bug reports from our users.

3. How have you approached designing and implementing automated systems?

During my time at XYZ Inc., I led a project to automate the deployment process of our main application. To approach this, I first analyzed the current process and identified areas that could be automated. I also consulted with other teams within the company to gather their input on what could be improved.

1. Next, I evaluated various automation tools and decided to use Jenkins for the deployment process. I configured the tool to automatically trigger builds whenever changes were pushed to our Git repository.
2. As a result of this automation, we were able to reduce deployment time from 4 hours to just 30 minutes on average.
3. We also saw a significant reduction in deployment failures, from an average of 5 per month to just 1.

Another example is when I designed and implemented an automated testing framework for our mobile app at ABC Corp. Using Appium and Selenium, I created a set of test scripts to run on multiple devices and platforms simultaneously.

• As a result, we were able to increase test coverage from 40% to 90% within a month of implementation.
• We also saw a 25% reduction in the bug count reported by customers after each release.

Overall, my approach to designing and implementing automated systems involves analyzing current processes, consulting with stakeholders, and evaluating various tools before implementing a solution that delivers measurable results.

4. Can you describe a particularly challenging automation project you worked on?

During my time at Company X, I was tasked with automating the testing process for a complex application that involved multiple integrated systems. This project was particularly challenging because the application had a large number of dependencies and integration points, which meant that there were a lot of moving pieces to consider.

1. First, I undertook a review of the existing manual testing processes and identified areas that could be automated.
2. Next, I worked with the development team to ensure that the application code was testable and that they were following best practices for automation.
3. After that, I selected and implemented a test automation framework that would work well with the application's architecture and allow us to easily integrate with our existing tools.
4. To ensure that the automated tests were comprehensive, I created a suite of test cases that covered all of the critical functionality and edge cases.

As a result of this project, we were able to significantly improve the speed and efficiency of our testing process. The automated tests ran much faster than manual tests, and we were able to catch defects much earlier in the development process. We were also able to free up significant time for our testers to focus on more value-added activities.

Overall, this was a very successful project that demonstrated the value of automation in testing.

5. What steps do you take to ensure that automated systems are reliable and maintainable?

At my current company, I’ve implemented the following steps to ensure the reliability and maintainability of our automated systems:

1. Testing and Validation: Before deploying any automated system, we run extensive tests to ensure that it’s functioning properly. We also validate the accuracy of the output against our expected results. For instance, in one of our recent projects, we automated a data ingestion process which improved our data processing time from 12 hours to 2 hours.
2. Version Control: We use version control software to keep track of changes made to our automated systems. This helps us revert to an earlier version if any issues arise.
3. Log Monitoring and Analysis: We monitor system logs on a regular basis to identify any potential issues. We also analyze the logs to identify patterns and trends that indicate potential performance issues. For instance, we identified a bottleneck in our automated testing framework which was causing poor test performance. By analyzing the logs, we were able to identify the root cause and fix the issue.
4. Code Reviews: All changes made to the automated systems are reviewed by other members of the team to ensure their maintainability and reliability.
5. Documentation: We document all of our automated systems thoroughly so that they can easily be maintained by other members of the team. The documentation includes information on how the system works, dependencies, and any necessary configuration settings.

By following these steps, we’ve been able to maintain the reliability and maintainability of our automated systems. Our automated system has resulted in a 50% reduction in manual workforce hours, and increased system uptime from 95% to 99%.

6. How do you keep up with new developments in automation technology?

As a dedicated Site Reliability Engineer (SRE), staying up to date with the latest developments in automation technology is essential to my success. Here are a few strategies that I have found to be useful:

1. Regular Research: I make a point to regularly read industry blogs, articles, and publications that cover automation technologies, both established and emerging. This keeps me informed of new developments, advancements, and best practices. For example, I recently read an article in Forbes about the increasing use of machine learning in automation, which helped me identify areas where we could implement this technology in our organization.

2. Network with other SREs: I find it extremely valuable to connect with other SREs in my network to share ideas, ask questions, and discuss any automation technology issues that may arise. One example of this is attending industry conferences and participating in events centered on automation in general, and SRE in particular. Last year, I attended DevOps days 2022 and gained some valuable insights on the use of Artificial intelligence in the automation process

3. Continuing Education: When appropriate, I participate in training programs, seminars, or webinars targeted to SREs on emerging automation technologies. For example, in 2022, I completed a training program on Kubernetes and its use in container orchestration. This training has enabled me to better support our development and operations teams in deploying applications and their associated services efficiently and effectively.

This approach has allowed me to stay at the top of my game, and my ability to integrate new technologies into our organization has resulted in tangible improvements. For instance, by implementing a new cloud-based automation platform in 2022, we reduced our cloud costs by 35% and gained significant operational efficiencies.

7. Can you discuss how you have worked collaboratively with development teams to integrate automated systems?

Throughout my career as an Automation SRE, I've had the opportunity to collaborate with numerous development teams on the integration of automated systems. One instance that stands out to me was when I was working for a large e-commerce company.

The development team was tasked with creating a new feature that required a significant amount of testing to ensure that it was functioning efficiently. To expedite this process, I worked with the development team to integrate automated testing into their development pipeline.

1. First, I worked closely with the team to identify which tests could be automated and which required manual testing.
2. Next, I created and implemented a testing framework that automated the identified tests.
3. During this process, I worked closely with the development team, providing them with feedback on the tests and ensuring that the framework aligned with their needs.
4. As a result, the development team was able to increase their testing speed and efficiency by 80%. Additionally, we were able to identify and resolve several bugs before they made it to production.

This experience taught me the importance of collaboration between SREs and development teams. By working together and leveraging automation, we were able to achieve our goals more efficiently and effectively.

8. How do you handle situations where an automated system fails or performs poorly?

Handling situations where an automated system fails is an essential part of an SRE's job. At my previous role as an Automation SRE at XYZ company, I encountered a situation where a particular automated system was performing poorly.

1. The first step I took was to identify the root cause of the issue. I analyzed the system's logs and identified the bottleneck that was causing the poor performance.
2. Once identified, I worked with the development team to create a fix for the issue. We made some changes to the code, and I conducted a series of tests to ensure that the problem was resolved.
3. After implementing the fix, I conducted a post-mortem analysis to understand what happened, how we resolved it, and what we could do to prevent similar issues in the future. This analysis helped us identify a few areas for improvement and implement them, ensuring that our systems were more robust and reliable.
4. As a result of my efforts, the automated system's performance improved by 40%. This improvement translated to faster delivery times and increased customer satisfaction.

In conclusion, dealing with situations where an automated system fails requires a systematic approach that involves identifying the root cause of the issue, working with the development team to create a fix, conducting tests to ensure the problem has been resolved, and conducting post-mortem analysis. By following this approach, I was able to improve system performance and reliability, resulting in enhanced customer satisfaction.

9. How do you balance the need for automation with the need for human oversight and intervention?

As an SRE, my goal is to ensure that automated systems are efficient, reliable and free of errors. However, human involvement is essential for tasks that require critical decision-making skills or tasks that are difficult to automate. Striking a balance between automation and human oversight is crucial, and I believe that implementing strict governance and monitoring procedures can facilitate this process.

1. The first step is to identify tasks that require automation and ones that require human intervention. For example, automated systems can handle repetitive tasks such as build deployment, monitoring, and patching. However, tasks such as incident response and software design require human oversight and intervention.

2. Second, I create a governance framework that clarifies how decisions are made, assigns responsibilities, and defines escalation paths. This framework also ensures that automated processes are aligned with the business and that the right controls and checks are in place.

3. Third, I monitor automated processes regularly to track their performance and identify areas for improvement. At the same time, human oversight is put in place to detect gaps and errors that automated systems may have missed. This allows me to fine-tune the automation process and reduce the workload on human intervention.

4. Finally, I track and measure key performance indicators (KPIs) to identify how automation and human intervention are contributing to the success of the project. For example, I may monitor metrics such as system uptime, error rates, and response times to evaluate the effectiveness of the automation process. I may also track metrics such as customer satisfaction and feedback to quantify the impact of human intervention on customer experience.

Overall, my approach is to optimize automation while ensuring that human intervention is always available when needed. My past experience shows that this balancing act can significantly improve system efficiency while also reducing human error rates by up to 40%.

10. What is your experience with configuring, monitoring, and troubleshooting large-scale systems?

Throughout my career as a Senior Site Reliability Engineer, I have had the opportunity to work on several large-scale systems - each with its own complex set of requirements. My experience spans a diverse range of industries and sectors, including SaaS, e-commerce, and finance.

1. Configuring Systems:

At my previous company, I was responsible for configuring and managing a distributed system that handled thousands of transactions per second. To optimize its performance, I implemented a custom load-balancer that provided failover capabilities across multiple data centers. As a result, we were able to reduce our downtime to less than 0.1%.

2. Monitoring Systems:

At another company, I was tasked with monitoring a large-scale SaaS platform that was used by millions of users. To do this, I used Grafana and Kibana to build out various dashboards and alerts that enabled us to quickly identify and remediate any issues. As a result, we were able to reduce our incident response time by over 60%.

3. Troubleshooting Systems:

As an SRE, I have been involved in troubleshooting numerous complex issues. One instance stands out where the database was experiencing severe latency issues, and we were unable to identify the root cause. After a thorough investigation, we found that it was due to a query being run on an incorrectly indexed table. I created a fix to index the table correctly, which reduced the query time from 10 seconds to less than 1 second, and we were able to get back to normal operations quickly.

In summary, my experience with configuring, monitoring, and troubleshooting large-scale systems has been instrumental in helping organizations achieve optimal performance, minimize downtime, and deliver top-tier service to their customers.

Conclusion

Congratulations on making it through our 10 Automation SRE interview questions and answers in 2023! But the journey to your dream job isn't over yet. Your next steps may involve writing a cover letter that showcases your unique skills and experience. For guidance on how to write a standout cover letter, check out our guide on writing a cover letter for Site Reliability Engineers. Another important step is preparing an impressive CV that highlights your achievements and qualifications. For tips on creating a winning resume, take a look at our guide to writing a resume for Site Reliability Engineers. If you're ready to start your job search, don't forget to check out Remote Rocketship's job board for remote Site Reliability Engineer job opportunities. We curate the best remote SRE jobs available, just for you. Go ahead and explore the job board at Remote Rocketship's DevOps and Production Engineering job board. The path to your dream remote job may seem long, but with the right tools and mindset, you can crush it. We wish you the best of luck in your job search journey!